Three American citizens who had been detained for years in China were released, a State Department spokesperson said Wednesday. They are Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung.Li, 62, who is from Long Island,

China announced Thursday that the U.S. had returned four people to China, including three citizens it said had been held for “political purposes.”

By Simon Lewis, Trevor Hunnicutt and Colleen Howe WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) -China and the U.S. have each released three citizens both governments said were wrongfully detained in the other country,

Three Americans including two Chinese Americans are back on U.S. soil after being released by China in a prisoner swap. ABC News reports the three returned to warm embraces from family members overnight at Joint Base San Antonio.

Americans Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung are en route back to the United States from imprisonment in China, the White House said.

Three Americans who the State Department said were wrongfully detained in China for years are on their way back to the U.S. as part of a prisoner swap, a senior U.S. official with knowledge of the deal told ABC News.

A U.S. official said President Joe Biden pressed for the return of the three when he met Chinese President Xi Jinping at a regional summit in Peru.

Three American citizens imprisoned for years by China have been released and are returning to the United States, the White House said Wednesday.